Breeze of the Sea
by TheLegendOfRoleplay
Summary: Jora finds a time door, unknowingly, and drags Fado with him on an adventure to the past! ...a past the sage would rather the godling, or anyone in general, didn't witness.


_Notes: It's adviced to go read the About pages of both Jora and Fado in the link on the profile before reading this, since it's a bit otherwise. This is a RP, and it wasn't exactly planned, do forgive sudden changes in tenses please! ;w; __Questions are accepted as well! _

_Warning: Violence and character death ahead, nothing too horrible though._

_~Fado_

* * *

**Jora**

The godling bounces excitedly, grasping the Sage's hand. "FADO I FOUND SOMETHING I FOUND SOMETHING!" He drags him over, giggling with manic glee. It was just a door. A door standing on nothing with an eerie light emanating from it. From it come the sounds of a forest beyond, strange though it was.

And children should not play with strange things.

But when has Majora ever listened?

He pulls Fado over and bounces on his feet. "Let's go explore it!" His smile widens into an excited grin. "Come on come on! The hero is busy with the princess and I just wanna go explore it we can come right back!" He doesn't wait for an answer and instead, pushes the door open.

**.**

**Fado**

Fado allows Jora drag him toward the 'new thing', half out of curiosity, half out of fear of upsetting him. And he really did have nothing to do, playing or entertaining the godling for a bit couldn't be that bad. "What did you find?"

His question was answered by the out-of-place doorway, and he tilted his head in wonder. Why would something like this be here? What was it, anyway? It felt strange...

"Jora, I'm not sure we are supposed to mess with things like these..." His warning was unheard as the godling forced the door open.

**.**

**Jora**

"It's okay, we'll come right back." He smiles and leaps through the door with Fado in hand, the door closing behind them with a heavy thud, as if thrown closed by the hands of the goddesses. They are left standing on a ledge that overlooks a small forest enclosed by rocks. The Great Deku tree has gathered his koroks close, and takes note of the new visitors, having seen them before in a time long passed, and says nothing.

Jora leans over and holds his breath, staring at the little leaf-faced creatures. "Fadofadolook!"

His curiosity is only exceeded by his need to touch all new things. But he is not close enough to touch one. He lifts a tendril and wishes to approach them, but he takes a look at the guardian tree, and recalls that he has encountered it with Link before. And so, withdraws the tendril and instead takes to studying them from afar.

**.**

**Fado**

The sage couldn't help but feel like he shouldn't allow the godling play with something that felt so powerful and strange. But knew very well that it would be futile to try and stop him. That didn't exactly ease his worries as he was forced through the door, hearing the door slam behind him.

He regards the small forest from their advantage point, recognition lighting his face in a mix of worry and surprise.

Fado stares at the Great Deku Tree, unsure of how to react. He's almost deaf to Jora's excited voice. A moment later, he gave the tree a respectful bow, but didn't say anything.

"Those are Koroks, Jora. Extremely shy creatures, don't try to approach them." The green-clad boy informs calmly, following the godling's eyes. He shifts in place, pulling at his cuff. He had a bad feeling, they shouldn't be here... "We should go, we are disturbing them..." And the timeline as well. For once, he didn't feel like the forest was the place to be at.

**.**

**Jora**

The godling looks up at him and frowns. "But they're so cute! I won't hurt them and..." He notes Fado's discomfort. On occasion is the godling merciful, but not frequently.

"Alright, we'll go somewhere else!" He leaps up and picks up the sage, putting him on his back, impatient to move on now, and moves out into the light- the vast sea staring at them in its endlessness. He almost drops the sage out of shock and awe.

"F..Fado...It's..It's huge!" He rushes toward the cliff's edge and looks down. Jora could simply float around the sea with the weightless spirit on his back, but he believes it would be much much more fun to simply borrow someone's boat. "Can we go get a boat? Can we can we!"

Something on the sea calls to them. The wind, perhaps? The godling is too excited to listen to any protest. He's never even SEEN this much water before.

**.**

**Fado**

"It's not because of that, I meant because as nervous creatures they will flee faster if you try to get close to them without permission from the Deku Tree." He manages to mutter a short explanation before jumping in surprise as the godling is suddenly there and picking him up like he was a doll and goodnesswhatareyoudoing-

It takes a second for his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the open sea, and his heart drops a little at the sight. It was beautiful, he couldn't deny that, but it brought back memories. "It is, isn't it...?" It was too open and big, in the poor sage's opinion. He wasn't eager to try and cross it.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." He sighed, why did he even bother? The godling was bouncing too much, it was obvious he was deaf to his words. Fado's ears twitch slightly as a soft whistle of air passes by, bringing with it the familiar smell of saltwater. For once, the sage wasn't sure if what he felt was nostalgia... nostalgia for something that he knew was so horrible and wrong if the truth was known. And yet he had grown so used to it after years and years of seeing it.

Had he missed the sweet and salty air of a drowned kingdom? He couldn't say he hadn't, even when the affirmation brought a pan of pain in his chest.

**.**

**Jora**

Majora floats them over the open sea, staring at it, and lowers himself down, his feet skimming the water as he passes the island that houses the Forbidden woods. He looks over at it, slightly drawn to it. The sea that is south of them, no doubt, covers his beloved Termina. But he doesn't dare go there. He doesn't want to think about how his home has drowned. Part of him feels sympathy for the sage. But this would not stop him from exploring both areas thoroughly later.

His eyes skim over the water and he spots a ship on the water, and alights on it and sits the sage down, hitching a ride on Beedle's Shop Ship. There is a certain stillness about the water that seems to calm the godling. As though he is reminded of something. "We can ride this until we get a boat."

He leans over and nuzzles the sage affectionately, giving a saccharine smile to go with his sudden turn in disposition.

**.**

**Fado**

Fado closes his eyes tightly and maintains a firm grip around Jora's neck as they started descending toward the sea. Openseaopensea. He was oblivious to the godling's thoughts as he tried to calm himself. Oh how he disliked being in open areas for long...

He feels the godling setting him down on the travelling merchant's boat, and he leans against the wooden structure with a quiet sigh. Jora's calmer mood was a strange change, but not unwelcome in the least. He smiles and pets the godling, making sure to keep away from his horns. "Very well then..."

After that, he simply tries to relax until they arrive at a small, nearby island. Outset Island. The second they were close enough to the shore, Fado signaled Jora to follow him and he jumped off the boat, floating a few centimeters above the water's surface, keeping out of sight from the villagers and merchant. Now, where to get a boat?

**.**

**Jora**

Majora fishes around on the new island, searching, looking inland a bit, frustrated and impatient. He wants to go see things~! And he can tell there are new things, he's already seen the flying man who delivers all the papers.

He's never seen bird-men before.

His excitement is only furthered and he finally drags an old, untouched boat from an old place, touching it up with magic, making as colorful-if not more so- than the King of Red Lions. His small hands pull on it through the sand, dragging, using magic to usher it into the water. Lifting the old sail, he offers a hand to Fado, and smiles. "Let's go splorin."

**.**

**Fado**

The sage chuckles at the godling's restless behavior, his eagerness blooming with each passing second. And yet he waited patiently for him to decide what he wanted to do or where he wanted to go.

He found his interest in everything amusing, the way he looked at the Rito... He could understand why he reacted that way; nothing similar existed in the past.

Fado tilts his head in wonder as Jora takes hold of an almost abandoned boat, working magic on it before offering him a hand. He blinks, something nagging inside the back of his mind, a gut feeling... and yet he doesn't listen and instead takes the hand, hauling himself into the boat with the godling's help.

"Sure, but we need to return this later, it must belong to someone." And he knew in this place a boat was one of the most valuable things to have.

**.**

**Jora**

The godling gives an excited nod, turning the sail into the wind. "Vaaaaaaaaayu~ We'll trust Vayu to take us somewhere." He doesn't know where he's going but there's so much! So much to explore!

He calls to the spirit of the wind god, even though Fado has never heard his mention before. "Spirit of the wiiiiiiiiiiind~" He reaches his hands up. "Lead us somewhere!" He giggles, totally unaffected by the feeling of unease. If he notices it, he says nothing, instead choosing to amuse himself with the boat and the sea and the sage.

Jora values the time he gets to play with Fado. He loves the sage like a brother -like that brother- and wishes he could make him smile like Va-... Like BC does. For now, all that can be done is sailing and viewing the sea.

But still.

The thought lingers.

Can I make you smile like BC does?

**.**

**Fado**

The sage wonders silently why the godling said that, and who he was talking about. Yet, he somehow felt those were the right words as a powerful breeze helped move the boat through the waves, sailing effortlessly. He was still unsure about Jora's words and behavior, but decided not to question it.

May the wind guide your way.

Fado decides to entertain Jora as well, smiling and chuckles quietly as he did so. It was nice to have someone there to keep him company, even if that someone could be quite the handful when he chose to.

**.**

**Jora**

The godling watches the boat as it sails north-taking the full span of the day to make its way up across the map, crossing many small islands as it follows the wind's path to Dragon Roost.

The moon rises over the horizon, and Majora stares at it. The boat continues its sailing and the little child reaches up. "He's still alive here too!" The boat rocks and the child holds himself up with his magic. Silly child, reaching for the moon. He is sleepy.

"Anse~" he calls out, leaning on the boat's edge again. "Anse silly it's not even dark out!"

He sits back beside Fado and lets out a small yawn. Dragon Roost is just barely in the distance, the glow of its fires on the air. He yawns again and curls up against him. "We'll be safe. Vayu and Anse are gonna watch us tonight."

**.**

**Fado**

The sage had long since taken to try and distract himself with everything and anything to keep his mind from going into full-blown panic. He hates being in the open for so long, though the sea was lulling and the wind was soft and the sky painted in colors he always wondered how they mixed so easily.

As the day passed he started recognizing the islands a bit more. They were nearing the part of the sea he had had the chance to explore. Fado jerked back into reality with the sudden move from the boat and reached to hold Jora in place on instinct.

Who was Anse? He didn't know... and yet he didn't ask as he wrapped an arm around Jora's shoulders in a half hug. "Very well then..." He hummed quietly, looking at the island closest to his temple.

"I'll stay up too, for a bit at least" Why was the wind leading them there, what did it want to do...? The wind seemed to change its mind as they neared Dragon Roost, and instead docked on the shore of the Island, in a side that was mostly hidden from view. They could wait before going forward.

**.**

**Jora**

The godling stirs as the wind begins to move their boat into the west. Oh, so we aren't going to see the bird-people then, Vayu? That's okay, they can wait! He looks out at the water as they come to a higher island.

"What's here, Vayu...?" He asks as they approach the isle. It is echoing with a certain feel, the feel of something sacred. There are large footsteps on the shore and Jora passes by the sleeping sage to tread onto shore. "Hello?"

He turns all around, searching. "Helloo!"

Venturing inside, he looks around. There is evidence of a disturbance, and he makes his way down, passing a few odd, unwanted creatures, looking. Doors unlocked, they have no need to be. The moon, still in the sky, reprimands the wind. You got distracted, he's found the wind temple. He's gone inside. Now he'll be inconsolable.

The godling pushes on heavy doors, trying to get into the room-he hears sounds from it. Sounds of music. Fiddle music. Is it Vayu? Is it is it?

**.**

**Fado**

The wind listens to its master, always. However, sometimes the words of an almost forgotten spirit-of a dead god- could be overshadowed by the ringing sounds of notes drifting through the air. It was like a puppy that has been given an order, and minutes later was being called to do another thing.

Vayu was not in control of all the wind, he knew that was impossible, he found out the consequences of trying. And so he gave orders but the wind was free to do them as it pleased. And he noticed the mistake a second too late.

Fado sleeps soundly as they arrive at Gale Isle, stirring slightly but not waking as Jora moves away from him and toward the half-hidden temple.

The peaceful area, now littered with various creatures, echoes the soft notes of a fiddle. An almost cheerful tune- cut by a dissonant note and a strange roar.

**.**

**Jora**

The godling hears the dissonant note and stops for a second. Just a second, and then shoves the door open, not stopping, his feet touching the sand, staring at the scene lain out before him. I...It's not Vayu but... but it's... "FADO!" He rushes forward. no nonononoonoioononooonononooo ! FADO NO! He is stopped by the twisting of the sand serpent in the air, screaming and diving through sand and narrowly avoiding the god who had killed so many of its kind in the past.

The child is frozen in place, his heart pounding. He spots the discarded fiddle, and runs for it. Fado's fiddle. Vayu's fiddle. The precious instrument.

**.**

**Fado:** The sage doesn't quite notice the godling's entrance, he races about the circular room, dodging the clicking and screeching smaller earthworms that were trying to tackle him, sink they teeth into his skin.

Part of him was panicked, his mind buzzing- Wherewasthefiddlenoitneededt obeokay. He had been forced to throw it out of the way of an attack, a surprise attack. He should have been more careful though, what if it's damaged?! The flash of pain on his shoulder-what received the hit- was nothing to worry about, the instrument was first.

Heart pounding almost painfully so, he twisted out of the way of another of Molgera's babies, catching sight of Jora nearing his-hishispreciousnodon'tdoanythingtoit- fiddle. He turned a sharp corner, having to almost roll on the sand to avoid the strange creatures, and rushes toward him. "YOU, STEP BACK! DON'T DO ANYTHING TO IT!"

**.**

**Jora**

The child takes a jump back, clutching it to his chest. A smaller sandworm lurches up where the fiddle had been only moments before, with Fado too far away to have reached it. Majora clings to it, shaking. ThisisVayu'sfiddleFado'sfiddleno...

"IT'S OKAY!" He presses himself against the wall, lifting up from the sand. "COME TO ME, I CAN HELP!" He's shouting over the sound of the giant sandworm, what were they called... Molgeras. His breath catches in his throat and he swoops down, trying to grab for the wind sage. "FADO!"

The sandworm twists up, snatching the sage in his mouth, chewing him up as he writhes in the air, and spitting him back out, leaving a gaping hole in his center. Majora's world slows and the earth beneath the temple shakes. The crouched form is so familiar. Echoes of words slow him.

_"D...did I really... I'...I'm sorry..."_

Majora's grip on the fiddle tightens, and the worm returns to its place, hiding in sand. "N..no..." This isn't supposed to happen. Tears stream, and the sand shifts beneath the sage. Majora can do nothing now, the first fatal wound has already been struck.

**.**

**Fado**

The sage could feel his heart stop for a second when the sandworm appeared just under the place the sacred instrument was a millisecond ago. Relief from the fact the unknown creature -it felt powerful though, almost like what he sensed when the goddesses answered the sages' prayers before...- had saved his instrument from harm. He sighed-and he took one second too long.

Dark eyes startle open and he tried to jump out of the way. But he was one second short of time. His scream of pain was muffled as Molgera twisted in the air, chewing him and then spitting him out. It was playing with its food...

He gasped in pain, wrapping an arm around his middle, curling on himself as searing agony coursed through his body. He can feel the sand shifting again, and he struggles, forcing himself to his feet.

Getoutoftheredon'tstaystillit'llgetyou... he stumbles as he tries to escape again, almost falling to his knees in pain. Red-hot pain. But he's stubborn and scared and he won't go down that easily nonono.

**.**

**Jora**

There is the sliding open of a door and Majora stays still. Footsteps...They can't...they can't possibly be... The godling makes a move, but it's too late, the evil king has already entered the sacred place, his heavy soul bringing them down.

The godling clutches the fiddle in his fingers and hides away with it... F...Fado would be upset if anything happened to his sacred instrument.

"So I see that has stopped your prayers...yet... you still live. How pathetic." His voice carries amused malice and he steps even closer to the wind sage and kicks him against the wall. "How long will it take you to give up. To stop playing. To realize that the gods are no longer listening. That they flooded that place because your gods have abandoned you."

Majora has uttered these words before, and his body shakes with the weight of them. No...no Fado don't listen...Don't ever listen to him...

The king of evil makes a swift motion at the sage's response, slamming him hard against the wall. "So you say, sage. But I do not have time for you and your idiocy. If you wish to die with your gods...then so be it."

**.**

**Fado**

The sage was brought to his knees by the tackle of one of the smaller monsters, which he tried to whack away with his bow. A searing pain on his legs, arms and torso makes him curl on the sand for a moment, gasping in pain and exhaustion.

His stomach drops at the heavy sensation and his ears twitch when he heard the entrance of the Evil King. The downed sage coughs a few droplets of blood and raises his gaze to glare at him with one eye. At the words, he hisses lowly like an angered feline before he's kicked and a pained mix of a squeak and cry breaks his voice.

Fado groans in pain, clutching his side. He spits blood in the Evil King's direction, glaring defiantly with dark eyes. "I h-have hope, they haven't a-abandoned us. They a-are preparing something to e-end you once and for all. T-the great goddesses k-know what they're doing and s-so I shall trust them until the end. You do not deserve the title of King of ANYTHING."

With what most definitely was a breathless cry, the sage starts struggling to try and free himself from Ganondorf's grasp, even if he knew it was futile. He claws at the arm holding him up, nails sliding easily and harmlessly on the metal plate of the gauntlet.

"W-w-whether I die h-here or not, you w-won't ever have the k-kingdom in your hands. You are no King."

**.**

**Jora**

The demon king's eyes lower with little pity on the wind sage. "...I understand." He growls, dropping his expression to one of empty hate.

"Then I suppose that I will have to dispose of you as I did her. What a shame, really." He says, mocking the wind sage's final moments. Molgera continues to twist and the godling is frozen in place. Protect the fiddle, his mind is screaming, but he's frozen. Because his heart is churning in his chest.

Everything hurts him right now.

'V...vay...vayu..' He thinks, and watches the terrible king's fist close around Vayu...no, Fado's throat, and squeeze, making a disgusting, ruinous snapping noise.

Silence echoes through the temple, and Ganondorf leaves Fado's body there. "He'll be a fitting meal for Molgera." He growls, amused. "He will soon see...the goddesses have abandoned him here."

Majora lowers, racing across the sand, scrambling, clinging to the most precious fiddle, and kneeling down to Fado's face, patting his cheeks, tears streaming. "No...no wake up...Fado...Fado wake up..."

**.**

**Fado**

Without an ounce of hesitation, the sage returned the hateful glare fully, before it turns into a horrified stare. No what did you do to Laruto what have you done how could you hurt her no you are a monster nothing but a monster howcouldyouhurthershedidn'tdeservetodieinthehandsajoke ofakinglikeyou-

He lowered his eyes for a moment, gasping as pain shot through his tired, aching body, and as his limbs fell limply at his sides. A cruel numbness had started to climb up his body as his mind struggled to keep air where it needed it the most, whatever little air could squeeze pass the grip of the Evil King.

The sage was not stupid; he knew he had no hope to survive. And so he could afford wasting his breathe and speak what he shouldn't dare. He raised his gaze again, dark eyes staring back at cruel molten amber. He smiled. "W-what is a K-king... with no kingdom to r-rule... or followers? Nothing. You w-win nothing by killing us, y-you're just denying t-the truth. S-someone will stand a-against you, and will defeat you. You are no King, and Hyrule will never belong to you"

Ganondorf's fist tightens. His smile cracks slightly, but isn't wiped away, and he gives a quiet squeak as the snap rises to his ears. He doesn't hear it. His body is dropped to the sand-covered floor. He doesn't feel it. Neither the patting nor calling from the godling he doesn't know. He didn't get to thank him... he should fix that.

He's tired, so very tired, but he tries anyway. It takes him longer than he'd like to admit, but he manages to appear before the godling, form flicking. "...I'm deeply grateful to you for keeping my sacred instrument safe, even when you had no reason or need to do it, or appear in this tainted temple." Fado smiles slightly, mournfully. And he hates how his voice echoes softly. "I apology for asking this but could you please deliver that instrument to the Great Deku Tree, far to the south from here? He'll know who the next in line is, he'll keep it safe." I don't want to part with my fiddle, but I'm not the one that will need it.

**.**

**Jora**

Majora hears the voice and turns to him, clinging to his body, his ears lowered in sadness. The fiddle is cradled to his chest like a most precious child. Just like the corpse is. His most precious Fado. The most precious wind sage. His. For now, at least. "I..." He reaches up towards the ghostly form, watching it flicker and die away at his touch. The air there is cold and it almost stings him. Tears stream down quicker and the underside of the temple rumbles- the earth shaking with Majora's sadness.

"Y...You're my friend..." He whispers, curling his arm around the corpse again, lowering his head to the dead sage's forehead, wishing so desperately that, for once, his magic dealt in giving life and not destruction. His body shakes and he curls around the objects that belong so close to each other. "I...I just wanted to see you... before..." He rests his head on the bloodied sage's and hitches a sob. "It's not fair!" His voice carries and the sandworm ducks into the earth, hiding from the emotionally-disturbed god. He eventually gets up, and nods to the sage. "I...I can do that but my friend...might not be too happy with me."

He looks over toward the door and nuzzles the corpse again. "But I'll do it."

After a moment, he bows to the deceased creature. Tears continue to fall. He chokes back another sob. "Maybe one day, you and I can be friends..." He silences and turns on the sand, moving out into the light of the world above. The moon has set and the godling sits on the beach, cradling the wind sage, licking him clean as though Majora were a mother cat bathing a kitten. He digs in the soft-easily moved soil and wraps him in palm leaves, decorating it with weaved in flowers and small treasures, as per custom of Termina, and then lowers him down. He clutches the fiddle in his fingers. He refuses to let it go. His eyes are swollen from the tears.

Bowing once again to the grave, he turns, after filling it, to the boat and climbs in. He avoids looking Fado in the face, clutching the small object in his fingers, careful not to damage it. Vayu...Fado's so precious, precious fiddle... Fado's so very precious fiddle.

**.**

**Fado**

Deep sadness flashes in the deceased sage's mind as he looks at the tearful godling cradling his body, as well as questions. Did he... know him? Why would he be affected so powerfully by something as insignificant (to a god) as his death? Why would he be so... protective of a corpse that was just one more on the pile of those murdered by the King of Evil? Fado lowered his head and had to concentrate in order to maintain the flickering form as Jora reached for him. It was harder than he'd like to admit...

The sage's ears twitch at the words. A friend? But how...? He doesn't dare look up at the sobbing godling, fearing that doing so would break what little strength he had left. No little boy don't break down when someone else needs you, even if you don't know them... He can't help a shiver that courses his spine as he catches sight of the earthworm disappearing under the sand. Nokeepaway... Silence grows between him and the crying godling, before Jora breaks it with phrases that leave him confused. But he's too tired, much too tired, to stay conscious any longer, not for the time being. "You have my gratitude..." Fado managed to mutter, bowing back at Jora. "I wish you luck, may the winds of fortune guard your way... and perhaps, one day, we will meet again...~" With that last echoing sentence, the sage can't keep his apparition any longer, and he disappears into small light balls.

Back outside, resting on the boat, the spirit that had accompanied the godling there stirred awake. The spirit of the sage that had long since accepted his fate, that had fulfilled his mission already, that had no real reason to be bound to the world of the living other than the selfish need to know where one specific creature was. He opens his eyes to the swaying waves of the early morning, and sits up suddenly. "A-ah, did I feel asleep...?" Fado's gaze turns toward the other being on the boat, and he gasps in surprise as he sees the instrument in the godling's grasp. Hisinstrumenthiswhydoyouhave ithowdidyou- "Jora, why do you have my fiddle?" He asks, resisting the urge to snatch it from his hands, though he does reach for it gently.

**.**

**Jora**

The godling gives a slight nod... "I found it." He says simply. His voice is weak from sobs. He doesn't speak about what he has seen, or what he knows, but steers his boat to the south. "I gotta go somewhere and then we can go home, okay?" He waivers, and shakes. He shies away from Fado's touch and the sight of his friend, the soft expression, the slight movements- All of them push Jora back into the throes of grief. The godling clutches the fiddle to his chest and lets out a sob. Everything hurts again. He tries to smile, to make it stop. Fado has been dead a long time, he thinks, remember? You met him and you knew he was a spirit but-

Why does it hurt so much...?

His tears grow to soft whimpers. He holds it away from the wind sage. "I gotta do something. You can't have it."

Jora is normally compliant with Fado's wishes. He is normally soft on him- And his smile is always infectious. Their journey is plagued by dimmed seas, clouds gathering above as a storm ready to let loose on them. In view is the Forest Haven, and Jora stands. "We gotta go there to go home..." His voice echoes an endless sadness. The godling's floating body barely touches the bottom of the boat and he alights back down. "I made a promise...and then we gotta go home, kay?"

His voice shakes and then, after a moment, he adopts a dead, tired face. He can't...He just can't anymore... Ears lowered, he steers the boat in the direction of the forest and lands it against its shores, exiting it quietly, stepping foot on stand. His gait is broken and staggering. He avoids a Deku-baba fluidly and turns toward the wind sage. "...Come on, Fado..."

He tries to give him a smile-but there isn't anything behind it. He makes his way into the forest. Avoiding the questions the sage has. Avoiding the answers. Because he can't face it... He's running away again.

**.**

**Fado**

When the godling speaks, the sage finally raises his gaze to look at him, surprised by the weak voice and the reddened eyes. He immediately leans forward and examined him, worry creasing his eyebrows. "Jora, what... what happened...?" He flinches and backs away from the godling when he scoots away from him, concern increasing when he hears the sob. He wants to comfort him, to know what happened, but if he reacted like that every time he got close he would only make it worse.

He shifts in place uneasily, trying to keep from panicking at the combination of being helpless at aiding his friend and being out in the open sea. The sage lowers his ears; it hurt to see that forced smile on the normally cheery godling. And the fact he was not giving back the instrument that he knew was his certainly wasn't helping him feel at ease.

Fado chews his lip, barely keeping from taking the fiddle. What did Jora need to do with it...? The rest of the way is silent, and once they reach the Forest Haven, the sage looks back at the other. "A promise?" What was he talking about? What happened while he was asleep? It couldn't be good, not at all, not in the least, if it had affected him like that. But worry was fogging his mind too much for him to think about any reason.

Once they reach the shore and Jora exits the boat, the sage frowns. He follows after, quickly and carefully. "Jora..."

**.**

**Jora**

The godling leaps nimbly, clutching the fiddle in his hands with a shuddering gait. The forest is silent with the sound of jittering, fearful koroks. The godling does not stop to pet them or pick them up, as he normally would. Instead, his eyes train on the Great Deku Tree. There is no curious smile. Only dead silence and sniffling tears. The tree looks down at the godling.

"...So you are the one the wind sage sent to greet with this fiddle?" He seems unsurprised. "...Godling, why do you meddle so?"

Majora says nothing and simply kneels and holds out the fiddle. The tree gives a knowing smile and the koroks come to retrieve the sacred instrument. "You did well. I am sure that he would be pleased with you." The tree notes the spirit behind him and turns his attention to it. "Child Fado...Why do you not comfort your friend? Surely you see that he has suffered a grand loss?"

The godling averts his eyes to the earth and kneels down, noting the curious koroks. The tree had greeted the godling like a friend, and so, they would approach. He let them climb on him, but did not use his curious motions. Instead, he petted them soothingly and asked their names, treating them as tiny people, being distracted from his pain. But he did not smile.

He would not smile. "I...I did what he asked," he says with a low voice. "You did, little one. Rest in the forest for a time. You are weary."

The godling allows himself to be led away, leaving just Fado and the Great Deku Tree. "Do you see now, Fado?"

**.**

**Fado**

The moment they had approached the Deku Tree, Fado felt a surge of nostalgia coursing through him. How long had really been since he last saw and talked with the Protector Spirit of the Forest...? However, he remained silent and back, unwilling to interrupt the conversation between Majora and the Great Deku Tree.

When the tree spoke to him, his ears lowered, feeling scolded. I feared I would upset him more, as it seemed he got worse when I drew closer... He wanted to say that, but it was not his time to speak. The sage looked at the godling as he talked with the Koroks, noting how quiet and... small, unenergetic, serious... sad, heartbroken he was.

Something clicked in his mind. The fiddle the other wouldn't give back, the promise, sending it to the Great Deku Tree... the Isle far to the north, where his temple was located... He froze, realization dawning in his expression.

"..." Fado shook his head slowly, tugging at his cuff. "No... no, no, I didn't... why did he... no, I didn't want him to see that, why did he see that... He- No one was meant to witness that...!" His expression took a hint of panic, and he barely suppressed the urge to pace around, though he did kick at the ground for a second.

**.**

**Jora**

The tree sighs. "Fado. The boy must understand that one day... This is the nature of life and death, good and evil. You cannot hide it from him. If he must know...then he must know..." There is a silence as wind blows around them. "Why don't you speak with him, Fado? It may do both of you good..."

The Great Deku Tree has the korok escort Fado elsewhere while he wraps the fiddle in vines.

Majora does not look up when Fado is brought in. He's sitting on a hammock of leaves, his expression withdrawn and tired. So tired. Tears have been falling, things he has been holding in since they left the isle. But they do not fall when he looks up on the sage's spirit.

No. He stares at him with hollow and cold eyes. He cannot cry in the presence of his friend. Instead, he tries to smile. He tries so hard, but it cracks him. The tears fall. He crawls over to the wind sage and clutches at his tunic, and sobs. "IwantedtosaveyouI'msorrypleaseforgivemeIdidn'twantittohappenlikethatit'smyfaultI'msorry-"

Death is Majora's trigger.

He saw a thousand deaths in the death of one wind sage.

He saw Vayu bleeding on the earth. He saw Varro, broken and beaten. The heroes, all of them. He can no longer stand it.

Death is his trigger.

"Please..."

"Forgive me."

**.**

**Fado**

"I know about the good and evil, and that it isn't as black and white as many want to believe... b-but... why. Why did he need to know? Therewasnoreason..." The late sage sighed shakily, tugging harshly at his cuffs in unease, his expression dark with a frown. He nodded and followed the Koroks, almost eager to get away, to move; he did look back to see the fiddle being wrapped, a pang of sadness at it.

Once the godling came into view, Fado examined his expression, the sadness deepening and tightening around his heart. The dead eyes, the forced almost-smile, the tears and sobs. The Kokiri couldn't take it.

He wrapped his arms around the godling's shoulders and drew him close, rubbing his back in soothing circles and muttering quiet, calming words in a soft voice, barely resisting tearing up himself. "Shh, Jora. It wasn't your fault, it happened, it happened long long time ago. The past is past..."

He hated it. He deeply hated how quiet and broken and lost and small the godling felt.

"You have no need to apology, Jora... I didn't want you to see that..."

**.**

**Jora**

He only cries more, burying his face into the sage's chest, his shoulders shaken with sobs. Why...why did he want to go see him? Why did he let himself...Why did he... Closing his eyes, he cries more, until his voice is hoarse and cracked. 'I'msorry...'

He should have guessed. Should have supposed that the wind sage was long dead. He KNEW it most certainly, even. But he had hoped it was something less painful.

Something more peaceful. Something... Something he could handle. But blood...The blow to the neck... A word he held back against his lips, struggling with each sound to hold in. A name he did not want to call the wind sage, that he had resisted. But...he was cracking now. He couldn't...He can't hold it in any longer. "...Vayu." Words in another language spill out with his hoarse voice, the name having called forward a thousand wishes, a thousand demands, a thousand regrets that could never be healed. He can't remember anymore. He doesn't want to.

Eyes turning up to the wind sage, he recognizes him, but cannot place a name. Vayu. No...Fado? No... Ears lowering, he clings him.

"Forgiveme...ForgivemeVayuIkilledyouagain ..."

Strange words in a strange tongue. Struggling the Hyrulian he had learned. "F...Fado... I...I want to go home..."

**.**

**Fado**

Fado does his best to stay strong, allowing the sobbing godling cry against him, let everything out. How much did he see? No no no still he shouldn't have seen anything, that should have been a secret, a secret buried under sand and time and one he would keep only to himself...

He continued muttering soothing words, holding the other tightly. The name. The name was familiar, Jora had called him that by accident before. The name of a long dead brother... He swayed gently in place, letting the other speak in a language he can't decipher.

He looked back at the godling, unable to understand him. Another language, another person. He does understand when he goes back to speaking his language, and he tightens the embrace slightly, giving a small smile and nodding at the request. "Let's go back... I'm sure the others are wondering where we disappeared to..."

**.**

**Jora**

Lifting his head, he nods. Home was safe. Home he could run away and go to his brothers and cry and lay in their arms and have nothing to worry about. Home is where Cazi and Hero and everyone was. That is where the godling wishes to be most. But...

He's so tired. Sobs quelling into sniffles and hoarse sounds of pain, he curls up against the wind sage. "...but 'm tired..."

So tired..So ready to give up. So cold. So...

Curling up against the sage, he's shaking again. So tired.

So tired.

**.**

**Fado**

The sage frowned, noticing the godling's tone and posture. He knew them. Those who were ready to give up hope... he knew them because he himself had experienced them.

No little godling don't give up, hope is the last thing one should let go of... "Jora, let's go back to the cottage, you'll be able to rest there." Rest without feeling so close to the place that brought this all up.

Fado picked up the godling with some difficulty, heading toward the tree for a quick farewell, before nearing the door that started all of this.

**.**

**Jora**

The door is open, and the godling waves tiredly at the koroks. His face, were it normal, would have been chalk white, and his eyes are cold and empty. "I'm sorry I brought you out here..." He mutters with sweetness. His eyes are trained on the ground below now.

"I'm sorry I came..."

His regret almost spills over.

**.**

**Fado**

The door closed behind them and the sage sighed before the murmur reached his ears. He looked back at the godling, a sad smile forming. "I told you there's no need to apology, Jora... It was an accident... I..." Fado sighed shakily, nuzzling the other slightly. "I'm sorry you had to see that..."

Whatever happened in the Wind Temple was meant to stay there. The sage regretted allowing the other roam the seas, yet he knew he wouldn't have been able to stop him.

"I didn't want anyone to know about that..."

**.**

**Jora**

He nods quietly, voice muttering in Terminian again, the child too tired to bother thinking in hyrulian anymore.

Voices hush and he drops into sleep, his body heavy. They'll have to stop for the night at least.

Wind blows around them and Jora shivers.

Nightmares.

**.**

**Fado**

The sage doesn't try to translate for long, having never heard the language before, so he continues moving through the forest, through a path he knows leads toward the cottage.

But he's no hero, who had gone through physical preparation. And he wasn't meant to be solid. Carrying the godling turned near impossible and he sighed in frustration before sitting between a tree's roots, holding the other protectively.

He petted the shaking godling, worried and tired. But he was going to stand guard.

**.**

**Jora**

The godling stirs slightly in his sleep, nuzzling into the sage's stomach, making a small noise of fear, wrapped in tendrils of nightmarish hell. He opens his eyes a little and whines, and returns to his restless sleep.

Sun does not rise for some time, and the night air is cold and heavy.

His grip on the sage's tunic tightens and he gives another whine. Muttering once more, in a mix of Terminian and Hyrulian. Words muddled by a sleepy tongue. Something about murder and sadness and Varro and Vayu and water and why?

But it is only mad nightmares.

Dreams that have no place in the child's head.

**.**

**Fado**

The sage only grows more and more worried with each sound. He wraps his arms tighter around the godling, muttering soothing words and trying to calm him down, unsure if he was even hearing him anymore.


End file.
